Fr. John Bender, LC, M.A.

Fr. John was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Immaculate Conception Apostolic School in Center Harbor, New Hampshire in 2001. Following his graduation from high school, he entered the novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ in Cheshire, Connecticut. The following year he was transferred to the Legion's novitiate in Bad Münstereifel, Germany. After his first profession of vows in 2003, he studied Classical Humanities in Salamanca, Spain. He graduated with a Masters degree in Philosophy in 2011 and in 2014, he received a bachelor's degree in Theology at the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum, in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 13, 2014. He has many years of experience in youth work, giving retreats, character formation, and spiritual direction. Since his ordination he has worked as an Instructor of Formation at Everest Academy in Chicago and Local Director of Regnum Christi Mission Corps. In 2017 he was named Assistant to the Rector in Cheshire, Connecticut at the Legion of Christ College of Humanities. He is also currently studying a M.S. in Psychology from Divine Mercy University.